Selective coin operated switch



' INVENTOR.

JOSEPH H- A/NA'PP I V r o ATTORNE] July 26, 1949. J. H. KNAPP SELECTIVECOIN OPERATED SWITCH Filed Sept. 5, 1946 "Joseph H. Knapp, Kansas City,Mo, assignor to 0. Earl Hovey, trustee, Kansas City, Mo.

Application September This invention relates to devices for making,breaking or changing the connections in an electric circuit and adaptedto be operated by the insertio'n'ofa coin in a slotted wall of a coinreceiving chute adjacent thereto.

One of the most important objects of this invention is the provision ofa selective coin operated switch device in the nature of that disclosedby U. S. Letters-Patent No. 2,213,845, dated September 3, 1940, in whicha coin operated actuating means is provided for the number of push rodsfor moving a contact into engagement with a stationary contact.

' Still further objects of'this invention include the provision of aswitch device wherein the series of reciprocable plungers for closingcorresponding circuits are each actuated by a specially formed leverpivotally mounted on a single shaft, and each having a portion thereofengageable by a coin; the provision of a coin receiving chute havingopenings formed therein for slidably receiving a portion of the levers;means for mounting the levers on said shaft; and the provision in onewall of the chute of a series of slots for receiving the coin to movethe levers as the coins are moved against a portion of the levercovering the slot.

With the foregoin and many other objects in mind, the invention will nowbe described by referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the selective coin operatedswitch device made in accordance with my present invention, parts beingbroken away to reveal details of construction.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken on line IIIHI of Fig. 1;and

Fig. 4 is an edge elevational view thereof looking from the right inFig. 1, parts being broken away for cleamess.

The operation of my present invention will become clear by setting forthbriefly the broad idea embodied in Patent No. 2,213,8 5, covering aswitch. That switch included a number of push rods or plungers l6slidably mounted in slots formed in a pair of base members l2 and I4,and havin a single locking bar 16 threaded through slots provided in theplungers Ill. The operation is such as to cause the bar 16 to lock anyone of plungers l against outward movement as the same is moved inwardlytoward one end of its path of travel. Movement of any one of the otherplungers inwardly causes the held plun er to be released and move to thepoint of beginning through the action of a spring provided for eachplunger I6. A number of spring contacts, not here 5, 1946, Serial No.694,841

lClaim. (Gr ef- 9) shown, are carried by an insulated block adjacent theplungers, and an equalnumber of contacts carried by the plungersarebrought into respective interengagement to close a series of circuitsin which the switch is interposed.

All of the foregoing mechanism is shown in Fig. 2 as beingheld inposition by a bracket l'l having apairof opposed, downwardlyprojectingfianges l8 and 20, which in turn areattachedto a plate '22through the medium of bolts 24. Thi plate 22, isshown'mounted on' oneface. 24 of a machine with which thedevice is to be used, or othersuit-- able support, thatjis provided'with-an opening; 26,andthe'plate22 encirciesthis opening 26 and is fixed to the face 24 byscrews 28 or other fastening means.

A pair of legs 30 and 32 fused to the bracket I! as at 34 carry asubstantially U-shaped chute 36 on the free ends thereof that extendslongitudinally below the plate 22 near one edge thereof. A series ofcoin receiving slots 38 in the plate 22 communicate with the chute 36,and a number of substantially L-shaped levers 40, each have one leg 42thereof disposed in underlying relation with a respective slot 38.

A tubular portion 44 is formed at the bight of each lever 40 throughwhich portions 44a shaft 46 passes to pivotally mount the levers 40, anda channeled support 48 welded to the bracket |"I is disposed inembracing relation with each lever 46 for holding the same againstlateral displacement on the shaft 46. These supports 48 serve to mountthe shaft 46 through the medium of transverse holes provided in thedown-turned flanges thereof.

A 16g 56 of the lever 46 extending below the shaft 46, engages arespective plunger l6 when the lever 46 pivots on the shaft 46, and aspring 52 coiled about the shaft 46 has the legs thereof bearing againstthe bracket [1 and the bight thereof against the lever 40 t0 yieldablymaintain the leg 42 of the lever 40 against the inner face of the plate22. There is a spring 52 for each lever 40, and a pair of alignedopenings 54 and 56 for each lever 40 provided in the chute 36, slidablymount the legs 42 of levers 46.

It is clear from the foregoing that as a coin 54 is inserted in one ofthe slots 38 in the plate 22, this coin 54 will engage a portion of theleg 42 that extends across the slot 38. As the lever 40 pivots on theshaft 46, the leg 56 thereof will engage a corresponding plunger I0 andmove the same inwardly to a, point where a circuit is closed and theplunger I0 is engaged by the bar [.6 to hold the same against outwardmovement. As

3 the coin 54 is moved inwardly into the chute 36, for passage thereinto a coin box, not here shown, the leg 42 of the lever 40 will bereturned to a position underlying its slot 38 of the plate 22, by theaction of its spring 52.

When a coin 54 is inserted in another slot 38 to actuate another plungerIII, the bar 16 will release the first plunger l0 and hold the latterplunger 'i-IO in {operative position n: the :rnanner set forthdn'theaforesaid Patent No. 2213,2345.

A panel 56 mounted on the plate 22 carries. suitable indicia to numberor name each of the slots 38 whereby the operator is.=mfermea.:aste

the manner in which the machine with which the switch is used willoperate depending-on the lever 40 that is actuated.

Obviously, coin operated switch'devices :ha'v-ing appearances, form andmodes of operationedlfferent from those above specified may be madewithout departing fromthe spirit of the invention-or scope of-theappended claim.

1 Having thus described the invention," what I clairrr as'ne'wand-desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V

In a selective coin operated switchdevice having areciprocabl'e'plunger; structure for actuating said plunger comprising acoin-receiving chute having a slot formedtherein; a shaft: asubstantially --shaped lever pivotally mounted on the-shaft, one leg ersaid lever extending mm at Number saidchute; the other leg thereof beingengageable with said plunger-to actuate the s'ame as a coin isinsertedin the chute through the slot and 4 against said one leg of thelever, said chute being U-shaped in cross sectional contour and having apair of aligned openings, one opening being formed in each leg thereofrespectively, said one leg of the lever traversing the chute throughsaid openings and being slidable therein; and means for yieldablyholding the one leg flatly against one face of the chute across the slotand in coveringlrela'ticn ta a-rportion oi the latter.-

JOSEPH H. KNAPP.

MREFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in thm .tufs zmea: this paterlti UNBI'ED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 6491793 ArglesMay 15, 1900 698,972 Laing Apr. 29', 1902 '-'f906', 885 vargyas Deena,1908 1,5' l 1 ;.'l.93 --Maxfield Febgz, 1928 1=,69 6;23l Haney Dec.25,1928 1,760,462 Yeo -May'27, :l930 1,798,466 Haley r. Mar..-3r, 1931l;924, 1"02 Benjamin Aug.:29', 1933 2,348,927 .iRunsvo'ld et al ''May'16, 1944 FQREIGN PATENTS Country Date 3,531 Great Britain L 1911 26,030Great Britain i908 Great Britain Nov. 9, 1933

